Typos and misspellings have been spotted in a high-profile defamation lawsuit filed by FBI Director Kash Patel, even as the case accuses a major publication of poor journalistic standards, including an allegation that Patel drank too much and missed important meetings.The 19-page complaint, filed this week in federal court in Washington, D.C., targets The Atlantic and one of its reporters, alleging that they knowingly published false and defamatory claims about Patel. He is seeking at least $250 million in damages, and says the magazine acted with “actual malice.”However, a review of the file reveals several basic spelling and editorial errors. Among them are “weak” instead of “weak,” “policy” instead of “policies,” and “discussed” instead of “discussed.”
These errors do not affect the substance of the case, but they stand out in a lawsuit that repeatedly stresses accuracy.Court documents are usually examined by several attorneys before they are filed, especially in cases involving the head of the FBI.The lawsuit alleges that the magazine relied on anonymous sources to spread false claims about Patel’s behavior, alcohol use and job performance. According to the filing, these allegations were denied before publication by the FBI, the Justice Department and the White House.
The legal action follows a public dispute between Patel’s team and the magazine after a report by journalist Sarah Fitzpatrick claimed Patel had a drinking problem. The report claimed that his condition was known within the Trump administration, and that on some occasions, his security team struggled to sober him up when he appeared intoxicated.Fitzpatrick defended her reports, saying she stood by them and that they had been carefully verified.
She said the post had strong legal support, and noted that officials did not question the allegations when contacted. “This is clear,” she said in response to threats of legal action.Patel’s allies rejected these accusations. Councilor Erica Knight said the story was based on unverified allegations. “Journalists have resorted to listening to disaffected biased claims supported by their anonymous disgruntled friends in order to craft a narrative.
“Fiction may get clicks, but truth gets results,” she wrote.Another associate, Clint Brown, also denied the allegations, saying he had spent a lot of time with Patel and had never witnessed his heavy drinking. “I’ve never seen him drink,” he said. “Not once. You’re spinning this narrative because you know the president of the United States doesn’t view that favorably, and he even admitted it in your story.”Before the article was published, Patel’s lawyers at the Binal Law Group warned the magazine against publishing what they described as false claims.
“If these false allegations are published, Director Patel will take swift action to preserve his reputation,” the company said in a letter.Patel himself continued to respond publicly. “Memo to fake news – the only time I’ll worry about the successful lies you write about me will be when you stop. Keep talking, that means I’m doing exactly what I need to do. This FBI will never deter you from making America safe again and taking down the criminals you love, no matter how much BS you write,” he said in his post.He later added on television: “If the fake news mafia isn’t feeding you baseless information, you’re not doing your job.”
